York U Experts offer tips on holiday blues, books, and buying…or not

With the holiday season upon us, York University has a number of experts available for media Interviews:

Natalie Coulter, assistant professor in Communication Studies, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and author of Tweening the Girl (Lang 2014) can comment on: advertising to children; electronic toys for young people; the gendering of toys; tween culture; how Christmas and Santa are used to justify consumer culture; and tips for parents on how to talk to their children about materialism of the holiday. Contact: ncoulter@yorku.ca

Alan Middleton, assistant professor of Marketing in the Schulich School of Business and executive director of the Schulich Executive Education Centre, can comment on: demographic and attitudinal trends impacting buying for Christmas; on-line/off-line Christmas buying patterns; the ‘experiences’ versus ‘product’ purchase shift; the role of charitable giving during the holidays and, especially this year in light of the Syrian refugee situation. Contact: amiddleton@schulich.yorku.ca

Cheryl Cowdy, assistant professor of Humanities in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, can speak about: tips for parents when buying books; the importance of books to children; Christmas stories for children; how to motivate children to read for pleasure; digital books for kids; and starting a tradition of giving each child a book at Christmas. Contact: ccrawfor@yorku.ca

Gordon Flett, professor in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Director of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research, and Canada Research Chair in Personality and Health, can comment on: perfectionism and the holidays; what parents should be focusing on for their children at Christmas; the need to matter; and coping with difficult emotions and relationships at this time of year. Contact: gflett@yorku.ca

Ami Rokach, contract professor in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, and a clinical psychologist, can comment on: feelings of loneliness during the holiday season; stigma of loneliness; learning to reach out to people; and loneliness anxiety, felt by people who are so afraid of being lonely that they run from it by becoming over-busy. *Please contact by email (arokach@yorku.ca) to schedule a phone interview.

*For more York University experts on topics in the news, consult our new Experts Guide.

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Janice Walls, York University, 416-736-2100, ext. 22101, wallsj@yorku.ca